What Might Have Been
by wajag
Summary: The story of the Alpha Immortals coming thru the StarGate. (SG1 doesn't appear but it is in the HLSG universe)


Title: What Might Have Been

Author: Wajag

Feedback Address:

Rating: Adult

Related Stories: Background story for my Best Laid Plan series

Summary: Adult for sexual situations. HL & SG X-over. **Although SG-1 isn't in this story**, this is the story of what happened when the Alpha Immortals first went through the StarGate to Earth.  
  
_Disclaimer: This is a story that suggested itself from my Best Laid Plans series. It will make more sense if you've read that series first. Since this will be the story of the Alpha Immortals first coming to Earth, **SG-1 characters won't appear.** (Sorry, this story is several thousand years too soon!) Familiarity with the Highlander and Stargate characters and situations is assumed. I don't own Highlander, Stargate or a new car. I won't be making a profit off of this (or maybe I would own Highlander, Stargate or a new car).  
_  
Just a refresher: Alpha Blue will be called 'Methos' later in his life. Laurus is the Asgard-Asunde that was assigned the Project of creating the Immortal Army for Earth.  
  
This is a sci-fi crossover between two programs that I enjoy. Please forgive in advance anything that isn't canon or technically accurate.  
  
"For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: 'It might have been.'" – John Greenleaf Whittier

**Prolog - Around 8000 BC**

He woke dazed and confused, his blurry eyes slowly focused on the gray, hairless aliens with the large dark eyes whose hands were still stroking him. Asgard-Asunde. His mind supplied. The aliens urged him up and into a sitting position, which made him dizzy. He needed their help to remain sitting. In a moment, the dizziness faded and he looked around in curiosity. He was in a large chamber that was busy with activity. Humans of various colors, sizes and ages wore long flowing robes and gathered in small groups talking quietly. More of the gray aliens briskly tended to mysterious tasks or organized containers into neat stacks.  
  
He looked to his left and saw Alpha Green, one of his brothers. A look to his right confirmed that Alpha Yellow and Alpha Red were also awake. They were being stroked and calmed by more of the small gray aliens. His mind continued to supply him with information. He was one of four Immortals enhanced with abilities and designed to create an army of Immortals to protect the world that he was about to be sent to.  
  
Not far from the last examination bed, Alpha Blue saw the Ancient's Prime and his assistant Tremaina, watching him. When his eyes met theirs, they smiled gently at him. He smiled hesitantly back. He didn't remember them, despite his mind having identified them.  
  
His eyes were drawn to a large ring across the room when it activated and a vortex burst out, leaving a rippling plasma event horizon in its ring. He stared at it in fascination. He didn't remember having seen it before but his mind continued to rapidly supply him with the 'knowing' of everything he was seeing. It was a StarGate, and it would take him to his new home.  
  
He felt the hands on him again and turned his attention to the three aliens that had woken him. His mind translated their coaxing words, "Come Alpha Blue, your new home awaits you."  
  
On legs as wobbly as a newborn creature's, he let them help him to the StarGate and he stepped into its icy coldness.

He stepped out of the Gate into the bright light of a blazing sun, which caused him to blink rapidly and shield his eyes. The dry heat was welcome after the frigid and nauseating trip through the wormhole. His brothers hadn't fared any better he noticed, Alpha Red was on his knees and vomiting, much to the worried murmurings of his caretakers. Alpha Blue stubbornly swallowed back his own nausea and took several steps, which took him further out into the warm sand. It was early morning but already the temperature was hot. He closed his eyes and looked towards the sun climbing higher in the sky. He let the warmth caress the chills from his body. He breathed deep of the air of this world, dry but full of the scents of things he had names for but had never seen. He only remembered the room he'd woken up in, this was so…wonderful and interesting! He wanted to see as much as he could of it, and as soon as possible. This was his new Home!  
  
He only had a short period of time to look around him before his caretakers were coaxing him into one of the many shuttles that waited to take them to the place where they would live. He pressed his face close to a view port as the shuttle rose. His brothers looked out the view ports near them, all of them excited to be on their way at last. At first, Alpha Blue was excited about being on this new world. It was new and different from what little he'd remembered of the place before, but things quickly settled into a cold and clinical routine. He asked the other Alpha's what they thought about it, but they didn't remember anything before waking up in the Gate room either, and didn't seem bothered by the routine. They'd been on this new world for nearly half a lunar cycle and Alpha Blue and his brothers had already thoroughly explored the massive complex that was their new home. Intrigued by the small glimpse he'd gotten of the world outside the complex, Alpha Blue sought out the Asgarde-Asunde in charge of the complex, Laurus.  
  
"This is a wild and primitive planet Alpha Blue. It is not safe outside the complex." Laurus said in response to Alpha Blue's request to go outside and explore. He shuttered to think of the danger the Alpha would be in out in this primitive world. The Alphas were too important to lose! The entire project depended on their breeding every month in order to create an army to protect Earth.  
  
"I've seen the data on this world, there's nothing out there that could permanently injure me. I'm an Immortal Laurus."  
  
"You are also Alpha Blue. You have not yet come into your first fertile cycle." The small alien patted his arm reassuringly; "the Doctor tells me that you will be fertile very soon. You will be calmer after you have started breeding."  
  
"Just one little trip!" Alpha Blue coaxed. "Just to see one of the great oceans. I could take one of the shuttles, I'm sure my brothers would love to see it too…"  
  
"You cannot go outside the complex Alpha Blue. Wait for the breeding." Laurus had said firmly before he turned and left the common area with one of his assistants. Alpha Blue frowned at the alien as he left the room.  
  
A large and strong hand patted him firmly on the shoulder. "Why do you want to go outside Brother? Any day now we'll be taken for breeding, the Doctor is sure of it." Alpha Red chuckled good-naturedly.  
  
Alpha Blue glanced at his dark-skinned, dark-eyed Brother. The largest of the Alphas in height and bulk, Alpha Red had the strength to go with his bulk. His laugh was easy and deep and reflected his easy disposition.  
  
Alpha Yellow joined them. Alpha Yellow was smaller and more willowy than the other Alphas. With pale skin and hair, his vivid blue eyes made him a handsome man, full of zest and good humor. "Why don't we go and see if we can sneak some extra rations from the eating area?"  
  
Alpha Green was the last to join them. He frowned at Alpha Yellow's suggestion. "Alpha Blue, let go of your hunger for the outside world. You know Laurus is only trying to keep us safe. Our job is to create an army of Immortals. Once we become fertile, we'll be too busy to worry about what's beyond the complex walls." He said placating, ever the compassionate and non-aggressive Brother.  
  
Alpha Blue shook his head. "Why can't we do both? We can breed and see the outside world. Once we've bred, they don't need us until we're fertile again. Don't you want to see the beauty and wonders this world offers? The great oceans of water, the mountains that tower into the sky? Don't you want to meet the people of the women they'll be bringing us to breed with? Don't you want to learn more about this world?"  
  
"I can learn everything I want to by looking it up on the complex computers. I don't want to waste my time sightseeing, I want to start the breeding! Did you see the women the Watchers brought in the shuttle this morning?" Alpha Red said excitedly.  
  
"When the conversation turned to their preferences in women's coloring and body design, Alpha Blue left them to return to his stark, small, sleeping cell to be alone with his thoughts. 

Alpha Blue kept his unrest to himself and went along with the routine. The Alphas were free to move about during the day, to study, read, or exercise but were locked into their private cells at night. The cells were small and plain with no pictures or windows to break the starkness of the white walls. Each room had a cot for sleeping and facilities for their basic needs. They had a pillow and a single blanket, not needing more than that because the complex was climate controlled. Food was dispensed at a large common area that was large enough to serve the anticipated thousands of Immortals they would breed.

This morning, Alpha Blue stood at the hanger bay doors and watched the last of the Watchers disembark from the Shuttles. This had been the last scheduled contact with the Prime and the Ancients on the world they'd left. Now there was no chance he could talk to the Prime and ask for permission to explore his new home world. Frustrated, he let his mind distract him with ways to defend the shuttle bay, then ways to attack it. His mind had been programmed to analyze and strategize. It was second nature for him to do this with everything he saw.  
  
He turned as he heard his designation called.  
  
"Alpha Blue, the Doctor is waiting in the Infirmary for you. It's your turn to be checked. Perhaps today is the day you will be fertile. Won't that be nice?" The alien said cheerfully. Until there were more Immortals, he had three Asgard-Asunde assigned to be his caretakers.  
  
Alpha Blue sighed. "Alpha Red is excited, I'm nervous."  
  
"Nothing to be nervous about. We have selected experienced, proven breeding stock. They've all been coached to help you with this first breeding. You'll do fine." The alien reassured him.  
  
Alpha Blue slowly followed the alien, matching his normally longer stride to the alien's shorter one. As they approached the infirmary, he noticed his other two caretakers waiting at the infirmary door. He heard their excited twitters to his other caretaker as he neared. "The others are fertile! They've been taken to their breeding rooms!"  
  
Taking a deep breath to calm his nervousness, Alpha Blue walked into the infirmary and got onto the examination table the Doctor indicated. He knew by the excited twitters from his caretakers, that he too was fertile.  
  
Alpha Blue had to listen carefully to translate their words as they talked faster and faster in their excitement. "Alpha Blue is fertile too! Soon we will have a blue line offspring!"  
  
Slowly he climbed off the examination table and let them lead him to the breeding rooms. He'd explored the rooms with his brothers when they'd first been granted freedom of the complex. His Brother Alpha Red had been very interested in seeing and using these rooms as soon as possible. When inside the rooms, the walls appeared to be solid and private. From the outside, the walls of this corridor acted like windows, granting a clear view into the rooms. This allowed observers to monitor the occupants of the rooms.  
  
Well Alpha Red was getting his wish now! Alpha Blue thought as was led down the corridor to one of the rooms. He paused to look in the first room that was occupied by a naked Alpha Red and a large breasted woman. The woman was on her knees with a sweaty Alpha Red pumping furiously into her. Alpha Blue wiped his sweaty palms on his tunic and moved to the next room.  
  
Alpha Green was laying naked with a dark skinned woman with short fuzzy hair. She was enthusiastically exploring his body with her mouth and hands.  
  
Alpha Blue moved to the next room and glanced at Alpha Yellow just beginning to mount his pale haired woman.  
  
"I can't…" Alpha Blue said nervously.  
  
"It will be fine Alpha Blue. We've selected a gentle woman for you. She will show you everything you need to know. You will like this." One of his caretakers said. All of his caretakers pulled firmly on his arms until he stood at the door of his breeding room. He stopped in the doorway when he saw a woman laying naked on a mound of cushions and furs in the center of the room. He was gently pushed into the room and the door slid shut behind him.  
  
He walked closer to the naked woman, looking curiously at her. This is the closest he'd ever been to a female before. Her skin was a pale olive color and darker than his own. Her hair was long, looking like a shimmering black waterfall down her slim back. He noticed that her eyes were dark brown, nearly black when she smiled at him and stretched seductively to display her body to him. He tilted his head and smelled the room, becoming dizzy and excited by her scent. His body urged him to get closer to her. His mind told him that what he was feeling was the result of her being altered. She was releasing the pheromones that drove his Immortal hormones crazy!  
  
He took another uncertain step towards her. The woman smiled and rose to slink towards him, hips swaying. She arched her body so that he could see and enjoy every curve. "I am for you." She purred and put her arms around his neck. He shivered with new and very pleasant sensations when she pulled his face down and kissed his lips. He breathed deeply and his cock began to harden as her hands slid over his body. He hardly noticed his tunic and pants dropping to the floor. Without thinking about it, he slipped his footwear off and let her pull him to the mound of cushions. He lay down beside her and tentatively explored her body with his hands, feeling the softness of her skin, the curves that made her body so different from his. Slowly and gently she guided his hands and body. She showed him what pleased her, at the same time as she pleasured him. His body was gleaming with sweat and his cock was aching with need when she guided him as he mounted her for the first time. Quickly he was lost in the passion of his first breeding with a woman.  
  
After their third joining, Alpha Blue pulled the woman into his arms and snuggled her body close to his. "What is your designation?" He asked.  
  
"My designation?" She purred in her mellow, soft voice.  
  
"I am designated Alpha Blue. What are you known by?" He whispered as he nuzzled her neck with his nose. She smelt so different from his Brothers. He liked the way she felt pressed up against his body. Already he was feeling a stirring in his loins again.  
  
She giggled softly. "Oh, you mean my name. I'm Xanthia."  
  
"Xanthia." Alpha Blue repeated, letting the strange name roll off his tongue. "Tell me of yourself Xanthia. Where do you come from, what have you seen of this world?"  
  
"I have only seen my village. It is poor and dirty and the people are hungry. This village of yours is a paradise! I have food and warmth, I fear no danger from the creatures outside these walls. I like it here better." Xanthia said and snuggled closer into the strong curve of his body. "I will bear you many fine sons if you will let me stay." She purred.  
  
Alpha Blue frowned. If things were so bad outside the walls of the complex, why didn't Laurus help them? Surely the knowledge of the Ancients could keep the people outside the complex from being hungry and afraid of the beasts? He would ask Laurus about it later. He licked Xanthia's neck, liking the way the sweat on her skin tasted. "Tell me of your village."  
  
Outside the breeding room, Alpha Blue's caretakers looked at each other and nodded in satisfaction. Alpha Blue's first breeding had gone well.  
  
"I'd heard that humans were very enthusiastic breeders, but I'm still a bit surprised at 'how' enthusiastic! One of them said, humor evident in his voice.  
  
"I think it's primitive. A sweaty exchange of body fluids. Our way is much more efficient." Another said.  
  
The third nodded. Like their Asgard cousins, Asgard-Asunde were genderless and reproduced by cloning. They'd long ago lost the instinctual drive to reproduce, now it was simply a matter of logic and a need to continue their Race. No need to be so intimate with another life form. "The Ancients designed the Alpha Immortals to blend in and create an army of Immortals to protect this planet from Goa'uld invasion. They had to make the reproduction compatible to the native breeding stock."  
  
"I meant no insult to the Ancients. Of course they had to work from the common denominator of the native stock."  
  
"Alpha Blue did well." The first caretaker said to redirect the subject from the Ancients.  
  
The others nodded in agreement, proud of their assignment. "He will breed a fine line of Immortals."

"Why can't I see Xanthia?" Alpha Blue asked for the third time, his voice rising with each asking. He sat on the examination bed and looked at the small alien in confusion. When he'd woken that morning, he'd been alone in the breeding room. Locked in the breeding room, he'd had to wait until they brought him food and drink. It was shortly after he'd finished eating that they'd come to take him to the infirmary to be examined.  
  
"Your breeding was successful, she now carries your offspring." Laurus said calmly. They'd checked the female earlier that morning and found her to be pregnant. The Doctor had wanted to confirm that Alpha Blue was healthy and had no residual side affects to the breeding. He was pleased that Alpha Blue's fertilized egg had transferred at the first breeding, thus confirming the Ancient's design. Alpha Red's breeding had been successful as well, but Alpha Green and Yellow still needed to successfully transfer the fertile eggs they carried. Laurus wasn't worried, the Alpha's would be fertile for up to seven days.  
  
"Is she well?" Alpha Blue asked in a concerned voice.  
  
"Xanthia is fine. She has been taken to the women's quarters where she'll wait out the birth of the child."  
  
"But…I thought she would stay with me. She is my woman." Alpha Blue said confused by what Laurus had said.  
  
"The females are only here for breeding Alpha Blue. Once bred, they must be kept isolated so that they don't get excited." Laurus said.  
  
"Why? This is my child." Alpha Blue said firmly. He had created and fertilized the egg in his body; he'd shared his child with Xanthia. Why couldn't he watch as his child grew in her womb? Wouldn't he be needed to help raise the child?  
  
"These are the first Immortal children, we don't want to risk any of the pregnancies." Laurus said equally as firmly. He was surprised that this Alpha was interested in seeing the breeding female again. Alpha Red had been pleased at his successful breeding, but had shown no interest in his breeding woman. He'd eagerly asked when he'd be fertile again. Laurus made a mental note to himself to observe Alpha Yellow and Green after they'd successfully bred, perhaps he needed to carefully monitor which females went to the Alphas.

For three weeks Alpha Blue tried to convince Laurus that it would be a good thing for the Alphas to be a part of the upbringing of the children. Laurus answered calmly and logically, but had to eventually close the subject by telling Alpha Blue that surely the Ancients would have included that in their 'Plan' if they had intended it. Alpha Blue had no response to that argument, since he hadn't been allowed to talk to the Prime directly.

It was after the next breeding that Alpha Blue took up a new cause to question Laurus about. As he had with Xanthia, he'd talked with his assigned female after the breeding. She had said nearly the same things as Xanthia. The outside world was dangerous and she'd often known hunger. Her village had lost many to sickness. After the new woman had been taken to the nursery pregnant with his child and Laurus was beaming with satisfaction, Alpha Blue sat up on the examination table.  
  
"Why don't we use the Ancient's technology to help the primitives on this world? Xanthia and Laola told me that they suffer from hunger, disease and dangers. We have the knowledge and means to help them." He asked.  
  
Laurus silently sighed. This Alpha had more questions than he had answers! "Before we came to this world, the Prime told me that it was imperative that the Goa'uld believe this world to be primitive. If they thought differently, the Goa'uld would come and take this world before we could create an Immortal army to defend it. Then the Goa'uld would have the Ancient's technology and the Immortals could be subverted into a tool against this world and any of the other worlds the Goa'uld chose to attack. Although the Goa'uld cannot use Immortals as hosts, it would be easy for them to breed their own Immortal soldiers using you Alphas. Surely you remember that the Jaffa are used in this manner; as hosts for the Goa'uld larva and as an army for the Goa'uld."  
  
Alpha Blue reluctantly agreed to Laurus' logic. He left Laurus, motivated to find another way to use the Ancient's technology without making it obvious that the knowledge was advanced. Several months later Alpha Blue returned with a new proposal.  
  
"When your caretakers are out in the field seeking females for breeding, they could ask about the healing knowledge. They could share our knowledge of native healing plants with the village healers."  
  
Pleased that Alpha Blue was channeling his thirst for knowledge into something useful and practical, Laurus agreed. Alpha Blue's persistence about wanting to help his new world deserved encouragement, and the idea of using the native plants didn't conflict with the Project goals. Wanting to please Alpha Blue, Laurus took this plan one step further and offered to implant the knowledge in the females that chose to return to their villages or leave the complex after they had borne Immortal children. None of the breeding females were prisoners, but if they chose to return to a life outside the complex, their memories of their time there was wiped for security reasons. Laurus could give them the healing knowledge without risking anything.  
  
Alpha Blue headed back to the common room with a feeling of satisfaction. It was a small thing, but he wasn't done yet!

**1 Year later**

Laurus reviewed the project status report he was preparing to encrypt and send off to the Ancients. Twenty-eight Beta children had been born without any complications. They were born Immortal as expected, and the ratio of male to female Immortals was per the design. Seventy percent of the offspring were male, and thirty percent were female. The Ancients had carefully designed the Immortal DNA for specific and controlled breeding. Only the Alphas would be able to breed for the next two thousand years, when the Beta Immortals would be mature enough to breed. The female offspring were engineered sterile.  
  
The humans on this planet were a resilient and determined race. They would certainly contribute their attributes to the bloodlines of the Alphas to create strong Immortals.  
  
Each of the Alphas was performing per expectations, even Alpha Blue. Laurus smiled at the thought of his precocious Alpha. This one spent more time asking how and why than the others combined! Alpha Blue had been programmed with curiosity and a quest for knowledge, and spent time talking with each female after he had bred her. Laurus was willing to overlook Alpha Blue's questioning of the females. It seemed to calm him to learn of the things he wouldn't be able to see.  
  
Laurus had monitored the last breeding to hear the questions that the Alpha Blue asked of the females. The last female had told him of her village. She'd been raised in a fishing village near one of the great seas of this world. She'd had two children and a husband before a great storm had killed her family and most of her village several years ago. She and three other women had come to the complex to get a new start and leave the home that had so many sad memories. She told the Alpha Blue about how the family unit had worked in her village, everyone taking a hand in rearing the children.

**25 years later**

Alpha Blue left the infirmary after another successful breeding. When Alpha Blue returned to the common area to look for his Brothers, he felt new presences. He could recognize each of his Brothers by their distinctive 'feel'. What he felt now was new. His curiosity aroused, he hurried the last few feet into the room. He stopped and stared when he saw four young men sitting together at one of the eating tables. They looked up nervously at his arrival.  
  
"Which Alpha are you?" One of them asked respectfully.  
  
"I am Alpha Blue." He said.  
  
One of the young men stood. "I am of your line. I am Beta Blue 1."  
  
Alpha Blue smiled and stepped closer. This was he and Xanthia's child! His son had his height and build, slim but muscular. His son's skin coloring was closer to Xanthia's coloring, but his eyes were definitely his father's. Right now they were a nervous gold-green.  
  
Laurus smiled as he monitored the Alpha with the eldest of the Beta Immortals. Surely this would distract Alpha Blue from his interest in the world outside the complex. He'd had Alpha Blue's caretakers continue to monitor the breedings. They knew he still asked his females questions about their world.  
  
The Beta Immortals had been kept isolated in the nursery, but now that they were fully-grown, they could be brought into the common area with their sires. Laurus needed to begin to make them an army. Each month he would introduce the next four offspring.

**4000 BC**

Early on, the Alpha's fertile days had shifted so that they were no longer on the same days. This necessitated their fertility being checked almost daily. As more Immortals matured and became a part of the breeding program, this created a logistical nightmare for the infirmary staff. Luckily the test was a quick check while the Immortal lay on the examination bed. In the interest of organization, each mature Immortal was assigned a set time to report to the Infirmary every day.  
  
Laurus reviewed the status of the Immortal fertility. He stood and paced his quarters as he mentally prepared the next update to the Ancients. The breeding program was moving forward, but an unforeseen problem had arisen. The second-generation offspring or Beta Immortals as they were designated, had matured and were fertile now, but they were only producing half the number of viable eggs.  
  
The Caretakers had also discovered that the third generation or Capa offspring weren't born Immortal. They hadn't known this until one of the Capa offspring had been killed during his training. After birth, their mothers nurtured the Immortal offspring. Some of the mothers chose to raise the offspring in the village atmosphere that had developed in the nursery. Others had handed the rearing of the offspring to others in the nursery. Either method was acceptable to the caretakers. The Immortal offspring were considered precious by all and were monitored and disciplined by all. The offspring began training as soon as they were able to walk and talk. Their education was delivered by the complex computer to small classes. They spent half their time learning about their world and the other half learning the physical skills that would make them an asset to the Immortal army they were to be a part of.  
  
It was during one of these training classes that a Capa in his tenth year was struck in the head by a staff and killed. When the Capa revived, it was immediately noted by the older Beta offspring that the child 'felt' different. The doctors had investigated the phenomenon and discovered that the other Capa offspring didn't heal from injuries like the Betas. Only the child that had died was able to rapidly heal from injuries. When one of the infants had been killed to validate their findings, the doctors found to their horror that the infant stopped growing and aging! Regretfully they discovered that a first death triggered the dormant energy that made the Capas Immortal.  
  
As rumors of this leaked out to the rest of the Immortal population, the angry Alphas demanded that no more of the Capa children be experimented on. They also demanded that the physical training be altered to compensate for the vulnerability in the Capa offspring.  
  
Horrified by what they'd done in their ignorance, Laurus assured the Alphas that the protocols would be changed immediately. It took several months with no injuries for the Alphas to calm down.  
  
Another flaw in the Capa offspring were their amplified emotions. The Capa Reds were bullies, more aggressive with the less aggressive offspring. The Capa Yellows were prone to anger and grudges, the Capa Greens formed strong attachments and if denied, became depressed or brooded. The Capa Blues were bored with the restrictions of the Complex, getting rebellious and more difficult to control. Was it something indigenous to the planet or was the bloodline being diluted by the native stock?

**3000 BC**

Alpha Blue was sparring with Beta Blue 1 when he heard the soft chime of the complex computer signaling an incoming shuttle. He quickly disarmed his son and smiled, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You were much better today."  
  
"But still you had no trouble disarming me." The Beta said with a grin.  
  
"Just because I don't like to fight, doesn't mean that I can't."  
  
"Of course, you are the Alpha Blue!"  
  
Alpha Blue handed his staff to his son. "I must speak to Laurus," he said and headed for the control room.  
  
The control room was bustling with activity. Alpha Blue scanned the rapidly updating screens to determine what had everyone so excited.  
  
"The Goa'uld are here?" He asked in astonishment. The project had been on this world for thousands of years now, and this was the first time they'd had even the slightest indication that the Goa'uld had returned.  
  
Laurus hurried into the room asking for updates. Alpha Blue listened as the secret outposts reported in. Laurus met Alpha Blue's eyes.  
  
"Call together your senior staff and I'll get my brothers." Alpha Blue said confidently commanding Laurus.  
  
Before Laurus could comment, Alpha Blue added, "It's what we were brought here for. Our army is tens of thousands of Immortals strong now."  
  
Laurus nodded, his heart swelling with pride. Alpha Blue was right, this was what the Immortals were designed to do. Besides, he had no one else to consult with. They'd lost contact with the Ancients several centuries ago. The technicians were insistent that it wasn't the equipment at fault and they'd tried everything they could think of to re-establish contact but were unsuccessful. Laurus wished that he could talk with the Ancient's Prime about the Goa'uld threat, and the Ancient's plan for using the Immortal army against them.  
  
In less than an hour the four Alphas and Laurus' senior staff were assembled in a conference room. Laurus began the meeting by updating everyone on the latest information they'd received from the field.  
  
"The Goa'uld Ra came through the Gate several months ago without our field Watchers hearing about it. The field is now reporting that Ra's Jaffa and soldiers have been enslaving everyone in the area of the Gate and working their way outward. They've been sending human prisoners through the Gate to act as slaves on other worlds. I sent out scouts when one of the prisoners escaped and our Watchers began to hear talk about the God to the East with glowing eyes."  
  
Laurus paused and held up a hand to quiet the rumblings he heard. "We haven't been watching the Gate since the dialing device was removed. This was a grave error on my part. The Goa'uld didn't need Earth's dialing device to get here, and apparently they've brought one of their own through the Gate with them. With their device, Earth's Gate is fully functional."  
  
After the update, the Alpha's took command of the meeting. It was decided that Alpha Blue would take several of the older Beta Immortals and observe the Goa'uld encampments, determining the Goa'uld weaknesses and strengths before returning to gather the Immortal army. Alpha Blue was chosen for the scout mission because he'd been programmed with extra strategy and analytical abilities, he could best determine their next course of action.  
  
Leaving the conference room and heading for the common area, Alpha Blue was excited to be finally 'doing' something. Outwardly he was calm and focused on the task. He handpicked a small group of Immortals to take with him. He selected his group based on their fighting skills and confidence. The small group of Immortal scouts were taken in a cloaked shuttle and dropped off at a spot an hour walk from the Goa'uld encampment.

Alpha Blue looked at his ten Immortal squad and nodded at their low profile position on the ridge. From here they could see the activity around the StarGate. The Goa'uld had set up a camp within sight of the StarGate. There were several luxurious tent pavilions set up, Alpha Blue guessed that Ra was holding court there. Regular tents formed a circle around Ra's tent at the center and in the safest position. Detention cells had been built to hold the prisoners just inside the outer edge of the Jaffa tents. Right now there were only a few prisoners milling nervously inside the cells. The Goa'uld must be out on another slave run Alpha Blue decided.  
  
He looked over at Beta Blue 1 and locked eyes with him. Without consciously thinking about it, his presence reached out and suddenly he felt his son's mind! His mouth opened in surprise as his subconscious mind supplied a detailed explanation. It was part of the Ancient's design. The Alpha's could all link with their Immortal children. He didn't know that he could do this! He expanded his senses to include the other Immortals in this group. Can you hear me?  
  
He smiled at their surprised looks as they turned their heads to look at him. He felt their affirmatives.  
  
Good. This is just another one of the things only the Alpha's can do. Now this is what we're going to do.  
  
He proceeded to give them his instructions. They were going to break into groups of two and infiltrate the Goa'uld camp. They were assigned specific areas to observe and count the number of Jaffa and soldiers. In teams of two each, they slipped like wraiths into the Goa'uld camp. As they slipped through the camp, they reported their findings to Alpha Blue using the mental link he'd established. Soon they had the number of Jaffa and troops that Ra had with him, and the number of those that were away from camp collecting slaves. Four hours later they had all the information they needed and Alpha Blue ordered them out of the camp and back to the ridge. When everyone was safely out and their presence had remained unnoticed, Alpha Blue thought of his Alpha Brothers and linked with their minds.  
  
After they'd gotten over their surprise and he'd explained about the link, he told them what his scout team had discovered. He let the other Alphas tell Laurus about their findings and explain the link while the scout team began their hike back to the hidden shuttle.

The Alpha Immortals and Laurus' senior staff were all seated at the conference room table again before Laurus began to speak. "The Immortal mind link that Alpha Blue discovered will be an invaluable asset in our battle against the Goa'uld."  
  
Alpha Blue began to speak at Laurus' nod. "We can use the link to communicate and coordinate our troops much faster than anything Ra can use against us. He has radio communications but only to the highest-ranking Jaffa. They must verbally communicate with the rest of the Jaffa and troops."  
  
Alpha Blue pulled up a overhead image of Ra's camp that they'd made from the cloaked shuttle before landing at the complex. "We were able to confirm that this is Ra's sleeping tent, and this is where he holds court. These are the high ranking Jaffa tents…" Alpha Blue pointed to each image as he spoke.  
  
"These rings of tents are for the Jaffa, these others belong to the common soldiers. Here is where the weapons are stored, here is where the food and other supplies are kept. We overheard that supplies come through the Gate on a weekly basis or more often if needed. Prisoners are sent through the Gate a day after each slave run. They use the day in Ra's camp to frighten and intimidate the prisoners into believing that their God Ra commands they serve him through the Gate."  
  
Alpha Blue let the others ask questions about the camp before he continued. "We need to wait until the Jaffa return from the slave run so that we can make sure we get them all. We don't want to be surprised if Ra manages to recall them and they attack us from behind. They just sent prisoners through the Gate yesterday, so they won't be returning with more captives for four more days. We have until then to get our troops into place."  
  
"I propose we use the shuttles and the complex's computers to keep track of the Jaffa that are out collecting slaves. We need to keep an eye on the handful of Death Gliders that Ra brought through the Gate with him. We were just lucky that he didn't bring a Mothership this time." Alpha Blue smiled. The Ancients had 'convinced' Ra to leave in his Mothership the last time he'd been on Earth. Ra had apparently thought to sneak in this time without the Ancients noticing. A Mothership would have given him away.

The complex's facilities began mass-producing swords and daggers, keeping with the image of the planet being primitive. Over the next few days, the Immortal army was secretly moved into position an hour's walk from Ra's camp. They cloaked their own camps and prepared to wait for the Jaffa to return with their prisoners the next day. In preparation for the battle, each of the Alphas linked with their own line offspring. When they had links with all of their fighting age offspring, Alpha Blue pulled them into a single link.  
  
When the Immortal scouts reported that all of the Jaffa and troops had returned to the Goa'uld camp, Alpha Blue used the combined link the Alpha's had with their offspring to order the first wave of troops in to secure the Gate. Then he ordered more of the Immortal troops to begin to flank the Goa'uld. When the battle was joined, he sent in a smaller group of Immortals to free the prisoners and escort them out of harm's way. He listened as the Immortals piloting the shuttles destroyed the Death Gliders before they could be launched, and updated him on the battle below. The shuttles had to remain cloaked to preserve the secret Ancient's technology.

From his position behind the StarGate, Alpha Blue watched as the Immortals pushed the Goa'uld troops into the funnel he'd created with his troops. He felt some of his troops die during the battle, but he blocked the pain from the link. He didn't want to distract the others with that aspect of the link. A small part of his mind kept track of every one until they revived and rejoined the battle.  
  
His troops reported with humor that Ra's troops were shocked and demoralized by the sight of the Immortals reviving from being wounded or killed. Ra's army exclaimed that those were powers of the Gods! Could this mysterious and unknown army be Gods?  
  
Alpha Blue watched as Ra and his troops were slowly pushed to the Gate and stopped. Overwhelmed, Ra angrily surrendered. The Alphas hurried down to where Ra and the last of his Jaffa stood in a small circle, completely surrounded by Immortal troops.  
  
Feeling their approach, the Immortal army silently stepped aside as the Alphas approached. Judging by the expressions on the faces of Ra and his remaining Jaffa, it was a fearsome sight to see the menacing and silent army open like an invisible hand had gently pushed them aside. The Alphas stepped to the ring of Jaffa and stopped. Alpha Red spoke for the Alpha's with his booming voice that easily carried through the dry desert air.  
  
"The Goa'uld are not welcome on this world! We will not tolerate any Goa'uld presence here."  
  
Ra was silent for a moment as he angrily evaluated the situation. These beings knew he was Goa'uld so his claims of Godhood were useless. They'd defeated his Death Gliders and Jaffa leaving him with no protection. He raged at his helplessness.  
  
"I am Ra. Who challenges my right to this world?" He said arrogantly, striking a pose of indifference.  
  
"We are the Tauri. You will leave this world and not return, or you forfeit your lives." Alpha Red bellowed.  
  
Alpha Blue ordered Beta Blue 1 to dial up one of the Goa'uld worlds. Ra looked at the Gate in anger, hiding his relief that he would be allowed to live.  
  
"Go through the Gate and never return." Alpha Red commanded.  
  
Ra glared at Alpha Red, assuming him to be the leader since he'd been the only one to speak. "I will speak of this to my fellow Gods." He threatened. Let the Tauri take that any way they chose!  
  
"Tell them that to come here is to die!" Alpha Red growled menacingly. Alpha Blue ordered the Immortal troops to point their weapons at Ra to make sure he got their point.  
  
Ra shut his mouth and hurried through the StarGate, followed by the pitiful remainder of his Jaffa and troops.  
  
A cheer went up as the Gate shut off, sealing Ra from Earth. Alpha Blue relayed the message to the Immortals at the complex that Ra was vanquished.  
  
Laurus released a sigh of relief when the Beta acting as his communication link to the Immortal forces, relayed the news.

Based on their earlier decision, the Alphas ordered the Gate to be buried and covered with a cover stone. They etched a warning on the cover stone using the native language of the area. The dialing device brought by the Goa'uld was buried separate from the Gate with its own cover stone. They had the original dialing device back at the complex, but without a Gate to operate, it was just a pedestal of useless Ancient's technology.  
  
While the Gate was being buried, the natives were returned to their homes in the 'Chariots of Fire' as they called them. Their rescuers responded vaguely to the native's requests for explanations. An army of Gods from the heavens had defeated the God Ra! The cloaked shuttles delivered their native cargo and quickly returned to begin the task of disassembling Ra's camp and returning the Immortals to the complex.

Back at the complex, Laurus listened to the radio chatter as the shuttles went about their tasks. He was proud to be part of this project, even more so after seeing all of their work prove itself out like this. The Immortals had easily identified Ra as the Goa'uld. They'd been able to recognize the difference between the Jaffa and the human troops under Ra's command. With their natural talent, strength and regenerative healing gifts, the Immortals had been a devastating force against Ra's army. Alpha Blue had been able to access the strategy data that he'd been programmed with, and had mind linked with the other Immortals, easily commanding them to victory.  
  
Now it was time to recall the Immortals. He'd send a status report to the Ancient's, even if they hadn't heard from them in centuries.

Alpha Blue watched in silence as the Immortal army returned to their original drop off spots. The shuttles were still removing Ra's equipment so it would be several days before the Immortals could all be returned to the complex. Alpha Blue smiled as a thought occurred to him. He might as well explore while he waited to be picked up. Since he'd been in the first group to be dropped off, he'd be the last picked up!  
  
He quickly collected the supplies he'd need for several days. As he collected his supplies, he was approached by the other Alphas.  
  
"What are you planning my sly brother?" Alpha Red asked.  
  
"I thought since I had time before the shuttles were ready for us, I'd explore. Want to come with me?" He asked barely containing his excitement.  
  
"Laurus will not be pleased." Alpha Green said with disapproval.  
  
"Why would he begrudge me this? We've just spent the last few days out here. The closest thing to danger was the Goa'uld and his Jaffa, and they're gone now." Alpha Blue explained patiently. He tried again to interest his brothers in exploring. "There's so much to see and do out here."  
  
The other Alphas shook their heads in amused tolerance at their brother's enthusiasm.  
  
"I want to go too." Beta Blue 1 said. His voice was seconded by several of the other Beta Blues that had eavesdropped on the conversation.  
  
Brother do you know what you're doing? Alpha Yellow thought to Alpha Blue. The other Alphas sent similar questioning probes through the link.  
  
What trouble can I get into? It will be several days before the shuttles are ready for us. Just use our locators and come and get us when you're ready to go.  
  
Very well Brother. Go and see what you can in the time left to you here. Alpha Yellow sent in resignation.  
  
Yes, Get it out of your system! Alpha Red sent along with a caress of fondness and amusement.  
  
Be safe Brother. Alpha Green sent.  
  
They watched until Alpha Blue and six of his sons had disappeared over the ridge.  
  
Anxious to see as much as he could in the few days he had, Alpha Blue broke into a ground-eating jog after they'd crested the ridge. He'd queried his sons and they were as excited as he was. They joined his jog, smiling in excitement.  
  
Alpha Blue had seen the overhead images from the shuttles so he knew the direction of the nearest village. Four hours later, they stopped and looked down at the village.  
  
There wasn't much to it, a pool of life giving water shaded by a canopy of woven reeds, and surrounded by homes. The homes were built from sun-baked mud bricks. The front of the homes had covered porches that shaded the windows from the desert sun. The rooftops appeared to have vents in them, perhaps to help to circulate the air. There were storage sheds built into stairs that led to the flat roofs. There weren't many people moving around in the twenty or so homes that made up the village.  
  
Alpha Blue frowned; the Goa'uld had probably taken all but the very young and the elderly from this village. Just beyond the village, he could see the river that brought life to this village and many others just like it. There were only a few fishing boats on the water, only a few people gathering food in the fields near the bank of the river.  
  
Say nothing of who we are or where we come from. We are just travelers on our way to the south. He told his sons. They nodded. Laurus' nervousness increased the longer the Immortals were outside the complex. He ordered the shuttles to begin ringing up the Immortals in the field and ringing them down at the complex, so that they could transfer them faster. They saved time by not having to land and takeoff in the shuttles, so that by the end of the second day the last group was being loaded onto the shuttles.

"Sir! Alpha Blue and six of the Betas aren't at the last pickup site!" A frantic caretaker reported over the shuttle communicator.  
  
"What?!" Laurus shouted, his mind supplying him with images of the Alpha Blue and his Betas being taken prisoner by Jaffa or a Goa'uld that had managed to avoid the Immortal army.  
  
"Calm down everyone." Alpha Red said getting on the communicator. "He's just gone exploring. He can't have gone too far, he only left yesterday. Just use his locator and we'll go and pick him up." He said calmly.  
  
"Get Alpha Blue's locator on screen now!" Laurus commanded, making his technician jump in surprise. Laurus never raised his voice.  
  
"Alpha Blue and six betas are twenty miles from the current location of the shuttle." The technician reported.  
  
"Have you picked the last of the Alphas and Immortals up there? Can you go and pick up Alpha Blue now?" Laurus asked his voice squeaking with his nervousness.  
  
"We have a few more to pick up here. I estimate another fifteen minutes before we can go and pick up Alpha Blue."  
  
"Hurry!" Laurus said and began to pace.

Alpha Blue and his sons were sitting in the shade of their host's home enjoying a brewed local drink, when he got the warning from his Brother. We'll be there in just a minute to ring you up. Laurus was very displeased that you went exploring! Alpha Yellow sent.  
  
Alpha Blue sighed and sent to his sons, our adventure is over sons, Laurus has sent the shuttle. Leave the swords as thanks for the hospitality we've received. Alpha Blue sent. The villagers had been friendly despite their young men and women having been taken. It had been the God's right to call the young and strong to him, they explained. Alpha Blue had noticed the natives admiring the fine swords that the Immortals carried. The weapons were finer than anything they'd ever seen before, certainly each was worth a fortune to the poor village. Alpha Blue knew from the thoughts of the Immortals already back at the complex, that Laurus had been taking the weapons that had been issued and was locking them away until they were needed again. Better to let the village keep them than have them gather dust in the complex.  
  
The Immortals leaned the swords against the wall of the building and stepped together so that the shuttle could ring them up. Alpha Blue quickly refilled his mug with the local brew before stepping into the circle. They felt the tingle that preceded a ring transfer, and in a second they were on the shuttle.

Hasef was the oldest man in the village. He'd lost his family several seasons ago in a terrible storm that swept their riverside home away. Hasef had been trading several geese for some cloth and had been away from home at the time. Lonely, he spent a lot of time talking with anyone that would take a minute to talk with him. He'd been overjoyed at the arrival of the strangers. They were happy to listen to his ramblings of the village and it's history. Hasef was on his way to join them where they sat in the shade of the well. He'd already asked them many questions about the land they'd traveled through. He'd never been more than a few miles from the village in his entire lifetime.  
  
As he approached, Hasef waved at the leader of the strangers. The leader was a young man named Ah-fah-blahoo. Surely he was a son of the God Horus, he bore the face of the hawk, and his nose was proof! His eyes also showed he was favored by the Gods; they were all colors rather than any one color, and saw through a man without effort. Ah-fah-blahoo also seemed to be able to talk to the others without uttering a word, the old man had seen the one sided conversations in their strange language while they'd been here. The strangers wore strange clothing of a fine weave and carried weapons worthy of a God.  
  
He was nearly to the strangers when he saw a flash of movement and light. In the next instant the strangers were gone. He dropped to the ground and prostrated himself. They had been Gods! After several minutes of silence he risked looking up. The place where the strangers had been was still empty, except for the seven swords the strangers had carried.  
  
The old man shouted to his neighbors. "Come! Come and see!"  
  
When the nearest neighbors had rushed to see what he was shouting about, he told them what he'd seen. They all examined the place where the strangers had been.  
  
"The Gods have rewarded our hospitality. They've left their swords as a gift!" The old man said convinced of his conclusion.  
  
After much discussion, the others of the village agreed with him. Their offered food had been eaten and their beer drank. One of the Gods had even taken his beer with him!

"You not only endangered yourself, you endangered six of your Beta offspring." Laurus said quietly.  
  
"We weren't in danger. They were treating us as honored guests." Alpha Blue said in irritation.  
  
"Your preoccupation with the outside world is influencing the others. You must stop this obsession." Laurus said implying that the obsession was affecting the others through the Immortal link. He truly thought that. The others had shown no interest in going outside of the complex.  
  
Alpha Blue paced Laurus' office and tried to calm his rising frustration. He shook his head as he wished that he had some of the native brew that they'd been drinking at the village. Sadly, he wasn't likely to be enjoying that again anytime in the distant future! Laurus was being unreasonable! "We've seen the world outside. We've been staring at these same walls for thousands of years." He took a deep breath to calm himself down. "We can learn more outside of these walls than inside."  
  
"You are the Alpha Blue." Laurus said. He couldn't get into an emotional argument with the Alpha. The facts were the facts.  
  
"You have mature Betas for breeding, why can't I continue to explore? You can send someone for me when I'm fertile." He negotiated.  
  
The other Alpha's stood quietly and watched.  
  
"You are Alpha Blue, you are more important to the program than the mature Betas. Your offspring don't have the flaws that the Beta offspring do, and you can produce twice the amount." Laurus said unemotionally. He couldn't let the Alpha leave the complex!  
  
"You're not listening to a word I say! Surely the Ancients didn't intend for us to be prisoners here."  
  
"I knew that being outside would upset you. We will talk of this later, after you've calmed down." Laurus said.  
  
"I am calm!" Alpha Blue shouted. Snickers from his Brothers caused a smile to break out on his face, seeing the humor in his own words. "Very well. We'll talk about it later." He conceded. He turned and left the room, headed for his sleeping cell. He didn't want any company right now.  
  
"We'll talk to him." Alpha Green said. The others nodded as they all turned to leave the room.  
  
Laurus paced for a few minutes before he turned to his console. He opened a private channel to the doctor. "Alpha Blue is upset. When he comes in to be checked for fertility in the morning I want you to sedate him."  
  
"Sedate him?" The doctor asked.  
  
"Just enough to calm him. I still want him to be able to perform his duties. If we incapacitate him, it will upset the others." Laurus said.  
  
"I understand." The doctor said.

The next morning Alpha Blue lay on the examination bed for his check up. The doctor had one of the caretakers distract the Alpha while he injected a strong sedative.  
  
Alpha Blue looked at the doctor with a feeling of betrayal. It had only taken the caretaker beside him touching his arm to distract him enough for the doctor to inject him. Of course, he hadn't been suspecting betrayal from the caretakers he'd known for five thousand years!  
  
The doctor watched as Alpha Blue's eyes became less clear and intense. The sparkle in their depths faded. "Escort him back to his sleeping cell. I want him to get a shot every six hours. See that he eats and drinks regularly." The doctor ordered and turned to his next patient.  
  
Alpha Blue was pulled gently through the corridors to his sleeping cell. Alpha blue crawled onto his cot and laid quietly, his only movement being the lazy blinking of his eyes. The caretakers left the room, going in different directions upon reaching the corridor. One returned to the infirmary, the other to the control room to monitor Alpha Blue.

It was two days later before his Alpha Brothers sought out Alpha Blue. They'd been feeling lethargic and had each had disconnected dreams. They were talking in the common area when it occurred to them that they hadn't seen their brother in two days. They looked at each other nervously and reached through the link. They only found a dense fog. They sought him out, and when they found him in his cell they immediately called for Laurus.  
  
When the small alien arrived, he looked in surprise at the very lethargic Alpha Blue. The Alpha was sitting on his cot being supported on both sides by Alpha Green and Alpha Red. His normally straight and confident posture was now slack and confused. He was leaning heavily on Alpha Red to stay upright. The doctor had overdone the sedative, Laurus thought idly.  
  
"What have you done to him?" An irritated Alpha Yellow demanded.  
  
The hard look in the eyes of the other Alpha's convinced Laurus that they wouldn't accept any evasions. "I ordered him sedated. I could not let him incite the others into wanting to go outside the complex."  
  
"This is uncalled for!" Alpha Green said.  
  
"You can't let this continue. He's no good to any of us like this." Alpha Yellow said.  
  
"I must maintain order." Laurus said firmly.  
  
"No drugs." Alpha Red said equally as firmly.  
  
"He must stop this talk of exploring the outside world." Laurus emphasized.  
  
The Alphas looked at each other. They didn't want to coerce their brother. They understood Laurus' concerns for order, but their brother was driven by his curiosity and quest for knowledge. They didn't want to break his spirit or alienate him. They tried another argument. "You must stop the drugs, his confusion is being transmitted down the link to all of us. He's too important Laurus." Alpha Green explained.  
  
"I must have order." Laurus said holding his resolve.  
  
Seeing that the alien wasn't going to shift from his position, the Alphas looked at each other, communicating silently. One by one they grudgingly agreed. "We will get his oath not to speak to the others of the outside world. We will still hear his thoughts." They insisted adamantly.  
  
Laurus nodded. "If he will only speak his thoughts to you three I will stop the drugs."  
  
At their nods, Laurus left the room and went to the infirmary. He pulled the doctor off to the side so that they could speak privately. "You exceeded your instructions doctor. The Alpha Blue was unresponsive. The other Alphas were alarmed. You will stop the sedatives now. His confusion is filtering down through the Immortal link and affecting the others."  
  
The doctor nodded. "I will stop the medication, but I followed your instructions. He was fully functional, just at a minimal level." The doctor said defensively.  
  
Laurus didn't want to argue with the doctor. The sedation would stop, that's what the Alphas had insisted on. He left the infirmary and returned to his office. He had too many things to take care of now that this one was resolved.  
  
The doctor looked after Laurus. The drugs had affected the others through the link to Alpha Blue? This was interesting and worth investigating, he thought. He sidelined that interesting thought and returned to his patients.

Alpha Blue slowly drifted to awareness, his mouth dry and tasting like he'd used his tongue to clean the floor. He felt his brother's presence and shifted his body to look around for him. "Brother?" He said to Alpha Green.  
  
Alpha Green shifted to lean closer to his confused brother. He put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You're in your sleeping cell." He said.  
  
Alpha Blue looked around. It was his cell, but why was his Brother here? The cells were too small to gather in.  
  
"You've been sedated for the past few days." Alpha Green explained.  
  
Alpha Blue licked his dry lips and with an effort, shifted to a sitting position. "Why?"  
  
"Your preoccupation with the outside world. We made a promise Brother. To stop the drugs we promised that you would only talk to the three of us about the outside, none of the others. Laurus must maintain control."  
  
"You had no right!" Alpha Blue protested.  
  
"It was the only way we could stop them from drugging you." Alpha Green said angrily. More calmly he continued. "The drugs were affecting us all through the link. We had to Brother."  
  
"Why?" Alpha Blue said, his voice reflecting his anguish. He understood why Laurus would want to maintain his control; he was dealing with over two hundred thousand Immortals in a very confined and controlled atmosphere. His mind understood it, but his heart didn't. He felt betrayed and imprisoned. He felt like his family had been held hostage to force his cooperation and he didn't like it one bit!  
  
His mind cast about for alternatives, other options to this dilemma, but he couldn't find any after several moments. Laurus had already rejected all of his suggestions for compromise. He nodded in defeat. "I will keep your promise."  
  
Alpha Green patted his Brother gently. He could see the toll this had taken on his Brother.  
  
"Leave me Brother." Alpha Blue said and turned his back on his Brother.  
  
Alpha Green hesitated. He hated to leave his brother when he could see how upset he was, but he understood that his brother might need time to himself. He reached through the link and sent his sorrow and support. Alpha Blue returned his own sorrow and a confirmation that he'd keep the promise the others had made. Alpha Green rose from the edge of the bed and left the room with a last look at the dejected form of his brother. The Doctor looked at his status screen and cocked his head. He had a gap in his regular flow of Immortals to be checked for fertility. How could this be? He walked over to the computer terminal and moved a glowing object on the shiny surface. He quickly read the data that was displayed.

"Where is Alpha Blue? He's late for his appointment." The doctor said to no one in general.  
  
"We've paged him twice sir." One of his assistants said unhappily.  
  
"Page him again and call for his caretakers if he doesn't arrive in the next few minutes." The doctor ordered as he moved to continue checking his 'on time' Immortals. Alpha Blue was making a habit of not coming for his daily fertility checkups. His caretakers were having to escort him to the infirmary and to the breeding rooms on a regular basis. For an advanced life form, the Alpha Blue was behaving like one of the yearlings!

In the common area across the complex, Alpha Blue rolled his eyes as he was paged for the third time.  
  
"Brother, why do you resist? You enjoy the breedings, I've watched you." Alpha Red said laughing. Alpha Blue had kept his promise and not spoken with any one but the Alphas about his thoughts of the outside, but he was rebelling quietly by making the caretakers come and get him for all of his routine appointments, including the breedings!  
  
Alpha Blue's mouth dropped open in shock. "You watched me?!" He knew the breeding rooms were visible to anyone in the breeding area corridors, but the thought of someone consciously 'Watching' him was unsettling!  
  
Alpha Red laughed again, a rolling, deep laugh that filled the room. "Yes Brother I watched. I bred with Cami and she said you were the best lover she'd ever had, and she's bred with all of us Alphas now. I was just doing research as you're fond of saying."  
  
Alpha Yellow laughed at the expression on Alpha Blue's face.  
  
"The females like you because you talk to them, and hold them when you have bred." Alpha Red said.  
  
"We are here to breed them, not learn their life histories." Alpha Yellow said.  
  
"I talk to them." Alpha Green said in protest.  
  
" 'On your knees' or 'on your back' doesn't count as conversation." Joked Alpha Red.  
  
Before Alpha Blue could respond, the room got noticeably quieter. The Alphas looked at the entrance and the cause of the interruption. Two of Alpha Blue's caretakers started across the room and towards the table where the Alphas sat.  
  
"Brother, we promised that you would cooperate if they stopped drugging you." Alpha Green said quietly, his voice slightly chastising. He would never understand Alpha Blue's rebellion. The breedings were enjoyable, and as Alphas they were bred the most! What was there to complain about that? The Betas and the Capas had to wait until they were two thousand years old. That didn't equate to a lot of breedings since the Betas were only fertile every few months, the Capas once a year if they were lucky!  
  
"You promised that I wouldn't talk of the outside world, I heard no promise of anything else. Besides, they don't need me to breed. There's plenty of mature Blues."  
  
"We need more Betas not Capas." Alpha Yellow said as the caretakers arrived at the table.  
  
"It is time Alpha Blue." One of the caretakers said patiently.  
  
"I'll go in his place," said an arrogant voice from a nearby table.  
  
All eyes turned to the Yellow Capa who stood and approached the Alpha table. "I'll breed the female if the Alpha Blue can't get his breeding rod up." The Capa played to his audience as the rest of the room looked on in increasing nervousness.  
  
"This is what comes of 'learning'. We are warriors. We fought and defeated the Goa'uld and their army. We saved this world! We should be out there leading these primitives and enjoying our victory. Not hiding in here, having females issued to us like a special treat for only a few! Stay and hide in your sterile cell Alpha Blue. I'll keep you safe and breed your women." The Yellow Capa snarled sarcastically.  
  
"You are not fertile yet Yellow Capa. Go back to what you were doing." One of the caretakers said gently.  
  
"Mind your own business caretaker. This is between Alpha Blue and me."  
  
Alpha Blue stood and placed himself between the Capa and the caretakers. "No. This is between the caretakers and me. They did not come for you this time Yellow Capa." Alpha Blue said firmly, resisting the urge to put a compulsion into his voice. He'd avoided using the link he had with all the Immortals since he'd gone to see the world after fighting the Goa'uld. Laurus had implied that he'd misused the link to convince some of his Betas to go with him.  
  
The Yellow Capa got angry at Alpha Blue's intercession. In a quick movement, he drew a sword from the robe he'd concealed it in.  
  
With a gasp, the nearby Immortals backed quickly away from the angry Yellow Capa. This left only the caretakers, the Alphas and the angry Capa standing in the middle of the common room.  
  
"Where did you get that?" The caretakers asked in unison. All of the weapons had been confiscated when the Immortals had returned from repelling the Goa'uld from the planet!  
  
Standing only a few feet from the angry Capa, Alpha Blue waved back his brothers and shifted to a ready and defensive position. He kept his eyes on the Capa but he couldn't help noticing that one of the caretakers had hurried to the COM unit on the wall to call for advice. He'd better resolve this before Laurus locked down the complex and confined everyone to their cells, he thought. That would only give him a headache until they all calmed down. Being the focus of the Immortal link could be a pain in the neck sometimes!  
  
"Give me the sword and we'll overlook this little misunderstanding." Alpha Blue said.  
  
"There is no misunderstanding. I'm sick and tired of being locked in a cell and kept a prisoner in this sterile place. The females are here to please us and I'm tired of being told I'm too young! I'm over one thousand years old!" When he finished his passionate speech, he lunged at Alpha Blue with the sword.  
  
Alpha Blue sidestepped the lunging Immortal and turned to face him, focusing all of his attention to the danger an armed and trained Immortal warrior presented. His mind quickly analyzed his opponent. They were about the same height but the Capa had more bulk. In his favor, Alpha Blue had a longer reach and he was quicker. He also had thousands of years experience at fighting. Alpha Blue let the Capa lunge at him a few more times, stepping aside each time. On the fourth lunge when he stepped aside, he reached over to wrap his strong fingers around the Capa's hand on the sword and twisted hard. When his hand went numb, the Capa released his grip on the sword. Alpha Blue put his hip into the now off balanced Capa and knocked him to the ground.  
  
He stood back and moved the sword to a ready position. "Let it go and return to your cell." He said to the Yellow Capa.  
  
Angry at being disarmed and embarrassed in front of his friends and brothers, the Capa jumped to his feet and lunged at Alpha Blue. "I'll kill you and chop you into tiny pieces!"  
  
Saddened at the display of temper from the Yellow Capa, Alpha Blue decided that a lesson was in order. As the Capa lunged at him, he swung the sword to slash his chest, intending on giving him a painful reminder of his manners.  
  
Disappointed that one of his line children had embarrassed the entire line with his behavior, Alpha Yellow stuck out his foot and tripped the Yellow Capa intending to have him fall on his face.  
  
Alpha Blue noticed too late that the Alpha Yellow had tripped the Yellow Capa. Unable to change or halt the swing of the sword, he watched as the sword connected with the neck of the Capa. He saw the Capa's head fly several feet before making an awful thud as it hit the floor and slid to a spinning, gruesome stop.  
  
"NO. NONONONONONO!" Alpha Blue cried as he dropped the sword and backed away from the body. His shocked mind distractedly watched a sparkling white mist-like cloud rise from the Capa's body. He looked at his Brother Alpha Yellow in sorrow and apology. Something instinctually told him that the Yellow Capa wouldn't be reviving from this! He didn't see the white mist rear up like a snake and strike.  
  
Horror. Anguish. Pain. Darkness. Alpha Blue collapsed, oblivious on the floor.

Laurus was torn from his thoughts when the power suddenly shut off, a warning klaxon blared throughout the Complex. With a struggling noise, the power came back on line. Laurus activated the view screen and saw the image of his assistant in the command center. "What's happening?"  
  
His assistant was struggling to control his hysteria. "One of the Yellow Capas had a sword, probably hidden after they fought the Goa'uld. He attacked Alpha Blue in the common room. In the scuffle, Alpha Blue took the sword and decapitated the Capa."  
  
"What! Is Alpha Blue alright?" Laurus exclaimed. This was a catastrophe! Immortals weren't programmed to attack each other!  
  
His assistant continued. "There's more. When the Yellow Capa lost his head, he released a power surge. It hit Alpha Blue and took out our power grids. We're running on auxiliary now. Sir, the Yellow Capa didn't come back! He's really dead!"  
  
"How is Alpha Blue?" Laurus' tears fell un-noticed from his eyes. They'd lost a Yellow Capa!  
  
"Damaged. He's in the infirmary now. We've put the others in lock down. We have technicians doing a search for more weapons now."  
  
Laurus headed immediately to the infirmary and spotted the diagnostic bed with a crowd gathered around it. He looked at the Alpha on the bed. Alpha Blue rested quietly, gravity restraint bands on his torso, arms and legs. The monitor lights indicated that he'd been heavily sedated. By all outward appearances he was fine. When the doctor injected him with a stimulant, his eyes opened and the damage could be seen. Laurus gasped at the confusion and fear in the Alpha's eyes. Alpha Blue struggled against the invisible restraints, his eyes getting even wilder with his thrashings. This Alpha had been designed for intelligence. Curious and analytical, his personality had developed into a pleasant and companionable one. He was well liked among the caretakers and other Immortals.  
  
"Better sedate him again, I don't want him any more upset." Laurus said remembering what the Alphas had said about the last time that Alpha Blue had been drugged. Better if the Immortal link only reflected Alpha Blue's sedation rather than this raging fear! "What's wrong with him?" Laurus asked when the doctor had done as he was asked.  
  
"Physically, he's fine. He recovered from the power surge with his genetics and health intact. He can still be used as a breeder but I'm afraid his memory's been damaged. His higher brain functions are all active but he shows no signs of recognition. He still retains the knowledge of objects; he was able to operate the infirmary door and was almost out of the infirmary before we subdued him. He's in a primitive paranoid state right now. You'll need to keep him confined, possibly even restrained during breeding." Taking a deep breath the doctor continued. "His locator has been destroyed, it wasn't designed to take a power surge like that. We won't be able to repair or replace that. The other Alphas tell me that they believe that the link they had with all of the Immortals has been destroyed. They all experienced a sharp pain and disorientation when Alpha Blue was injured. They can't even link with their own line offspring right now."  
  
The doctor cleared his throat again. "I've analyzed the data from the Yellow Capa's body. All of the Immortals are susceptible to decapitation, even the Alphas. It will permanently kill them. The power that was released appears to be the energy latent in their cells that allows for regeneration. The power surge at death was transmitted to Alpha Blue. It appeared to target him exclusively although there were other Yellow line Immortals nearby when it was released. We don't know why, perhaps it was a residual control influenced by the Yellow Capa that died."  
  
Laurus' assistant spoke up. "The Immortals are very upset over this. There were too many that witnessed the Yellow Capa's death. They know he didn't revive. We've had to confine and sedate several of them, especially the other Alphas. We've seen several emotional outbreaks demonstrating extreme stress. We need to establish some damage controls sir."  
  
Laurus nodded. "Keep the Alpha Blue heavily sedated. I'll check on him again in the morning." He watched as the Doctor released the bed restraints on the sleeping Immortal. Shaking his head sadly, Laurus headed to the control room with his assistant to try to get everyone calm again.

He woke dazed and confused, his blurry eyes slowly focusing on flashing lights on the wall above his head. He tried to remember where he was and why his heart and mind were filled with nearly an overpowering fear and a need to flee. A quick look around the room didn't give him any clues. He sat up slowly, to let his dizziness settle and to avoid drawing attention to himself if someone were watching. He slipped off the bed and assumed a crouching position where he could look around the room better.

Across the room he spotted several moving forms. His jaw dropped in surprise, they weren't like him! They were small, hairless gray creatures with large black eyes. He looked down at his body in confirmation. He looked like he remembered, pale and gangly. He knew his hair was dark and that his eyes were much smaller than these creature's eyes. His mind supplied partial data, these creatures wanted to hurt him, make him do things he didn't want to do! They were keeping him a prisoner here!  
  
Frantically he cast his eyes around for a way he could escape from this place. He spotted the exit and hurried over to it. He didn't think about how he knew how to operate it, he just reacted. He put his palm near a lighted panel and the door slid open. A quick look showed him that the creatures hadn't seen him moving. He slipped out the door after checking that nothing was in the corridor.  
  
Afraid he only had moments before the creatures noticed his escape, he began to run. A computer terminal caught his attention. Letting his fear and instincts guide him as strange information flooded back into his consciousness, he stopped and his fingers moved rapidly over the keypad. He had no idea what he was doing but when the lights went out in the corridors, he didn't care. He let his mind direct his feet and ran! He panicked when the halls suddenly filled with people and more of the gray creatures. He had to get away from here before they saw him and captured him again!  
  
He ran full out into a large room that had hundreds of large machines in it. A surprised look revealed that there was no roof. He'd never be able to climb up and escape that way. He ran towards the wall of room when he spotted a door. This door had a lit panel next to it like the first door had. He put his hand near it and the door swished open and he saw stars. More determined than ever to get away from the creatures that had imprisoned him, he ran as fast as he could.

Laurus hurried to the command center to try and restore order. The power had gone out again! Had there been another Immortal death?  
  
"What's happening?" He asked his assistant.  
  
"Someone overrode the complex protocols and shut the power grids down. We're still trying to reset the commands and turn power back on." The assistant snapped out while working frantically at the computer.  
  
"Can you secure the outside doors? Shut down the hanger doors?" Laurus asked.  
  
"I'm working on it." The assistant didn't bother looking up.  
  
It took over half an hour of frenzied work before the power came back on line. "Status." Laurus commanded.  
  
"Bad. The cells were all unlocked by the power outage. We have locators showing Immortals throughout the complex and even more outside!"  
  
"Secure all doors!" Laurus snapped. He moved to a COM console. "Caretakers report in!"  
  
The news wasn't good. The caretakers had been unable to calm their charges, or to stop them from fleeing outside the complex. The nurseries were intact although some of the full-grown Immortals had ventured into the common areas. The mothers had managed to calm and contain the children.  
  
"Sir, we couldn't stop them! They were afraid. It was the fight with the Yellow Capa, and Alpha Blue's illness. There were even some fights among the Immortals, the Blues were blaming the Yellows for injuring their sire!" A caretaker shouted in a panicked voice over the COM.  
  
"Sir, should we send the shuttles after the Immortals outside the complex?" The assistant asked.  
  
Laurus reviewed his alternatives. "No. Stop anymore from escaping. We'll secure the complex and then go and get them. We'll be able to find them with their locators. First we must control the complex or we won't have a place to bring them back to."  
  
"Sir, there's something else…" The assistant said hesitantly.  
  
"What?" Laurus snapped. He didn't have time to waste with trivial details.  
  
"The infirmary reports that Alpha Blue isn't there."  
  
Laurus sat down in shock. Alpha Blue was missing in this chaos! Damaged and confused, he'd be terrified!  
  
"His locator isn't functional any more sir." The assistant continued.  
  
"Have all of the caretakers secure their areas and keep an eye out for Alpha Blue. As soon as we've locked down the complex, I want a complete search for him. Make that a priority after we're secured."

Laurus spent the following months and years trying to track the escaped Immortals down again. His caretaker staff numbers weren't sufficient to track and return his running and fearful charges. After meeting with the project leads and advisors, they'd been forced to settle for an alternate plan. The Immortals that could be located were returned to the Complex. This included three of the Alphas. Alpha Blue was still missing.

As time went on some of the located Immortals resisted being returned to the Complex. Others had their locators disabled after they took the head of another Immortal. With only a small number of caretakers, Laurus decided that only the subjects capable of breeding were to be tracked and subdued. The Betas and Capas that couldn't or wouldn't return without resistance were tracked and monitored with the use of their locators. The Immortal offspring were tagged with re-designed locators, capable of withstanding an Immortal's life essence or Quickening, and released when they were old enough to take care of themselves.

Alpha Blue had been running for nearly a year. He'd been running himself to exhaustion before collapsing, only to resume his mad flight as soon as he recovered. He ate and drank when he could, his Immortal body compensating for his abuse. But no matter how fast or how far, he couldn't outrun the nightmares that plagued him. Vivid dreams of a light so bright that he was blinded, followed by such excruciating pain that left a mind numbing darkness. The nightmares always left him shaking in fear, his body soaked in sweat.

Hebram was a healer for his tribe of nomads. They were at the tribe's summer campgrounds near the great river. He was out collecting the healing ingredients found here, when he happened upon the emaciated young man collapsed near the river. At first he thought the river had washed up a body that had been bleached in the sun, but as he knelt beside the body, the eyes opened in fear.  
  
"Such fear and sadness. What has happened to you young one?" Hebram asked softly, his hands gently stroking the young man to calm him.  
  
The young man spoke rapidly in a language that Hebram didn't understand.  
  
"Where have you come from?" Hebram asked and offered the thin man small pieces of the travelers bread he carried in his pouch. The starved man ate it as fast as it was offered. Hebram knew he had to offer it in small pieces or the man would choke or make himself sick on it. He paused in his offering of the bread to offer the man a sip of water. The man greedily drank. Hebram realized the man must have collapsed before reaching the water. Too weak to move and so close to the water that would have sustained his life for a little longer.  
  
"You will come with me to my home?" Hebram asked, fascinated by the man's pale skin and unusually colorful eyes. The man's clothing were in tatters, barely concealing his private parts. He could see that the cloth had once been finely woven and still retained some of the vivid blue dye it had once been colored with.  
  
The young man croaked in an unknown language.  
  
"More bread or more water?" Hebram asked and held one in each hand and named them.  
  
"More water?" The man said staring intently at the water pouch.  
  
Hebram nodded with a smile. Very quick this one was. He carefully trickled the water into the man's open mouth. It took more of the water and the bread before the man was strong enough to stand. Hebram started back to the village with the young man leaning heavily on him. Along the way, they were met by one of the young men from the village who'd been looking for Hebram to ask for a prescription for his father in law. Hebram recruited the villager to help him get the young man to his tent.  
  
Hebram left the young man sleeping on a mat as he prepared the prescription for the villager.  
  
When the young man woke several hours later, Hebram offered him a small bowl of gruel and some beer. The young man sniffed at the gruel and carefully dipped his fingers into it. Slowly he ate the contents of the bowl. When he'd set the bowl aside, he picked up the cup and sipped the drink. Hebram was surprised at the large grin that broke out on the man's face.  
  
The young man took a long drink before he asked a question in his language, pointing inside the cup.  
  
"Beer." Hebram said and named the drink. He assumed that's what the young man was asking.  
  
"Beer." The young man repeated and nodded approvingly. He remembered the smell and taste of this drink. He couldn't remember where he'd tasted it before, but he'd remembered that he'd liked it.  
  
Hebram patted the young man's shoulder and offered more of the beer to him. Hebram laughed in joy at the pleased and glowing smile that remained on the young man's face.  
  
"Beer!" The young man laughed, pleased to have remembered something that didn't bring fear or pain.

As time passed, Hebram grew used to having the young man around and enjoyed his company. The young man had gone with the village when they'd moved to the next camping area. Hebram appreciated the strong young man's help. It was clear that the young man was a stranger to this land; he was tall, pale skinned, had strangely colored eyes, and spoke in a strange language. Even after he'd recovered, the young man couldn't remember where he was from or what had brought him to the small nomad tribe's territory.  
  
Hebram had offered to let the young man stay with him in his small tent. The young man had quickly regained his strength and his body had filled out. The young man would always be lean, but he was strong and nimble at all of the chores he helped Hebram with.  
  
The young man was quick to pick up Hebram's language, only having to hear a word used once or twice before he understood it. Hebram took to calling the young man 'Pale One' since the young man couldn't remember his real name. Occasionally, the young man would remember something, but the memory would be fleeting. More than once, he'd been able to give Hebram another use for a common plant. Hebram began to take the Pale One on his forays into the countryside when he gathered the plants he used for his medicines. He was finding that he was learning as much from the Pale One, as the young man was learning from him!  
  
The Pale One still suffered from horrible night terrors. Every night, sometimes several times a night, the Pale One would wake screaming and thrashing. His skin would be wet with sweat and his eyes wild. He always calmed as soon as Hebram stroked his head and spoke to him in soft, calming words.  
  
Hebram also noticed that the young man had a gift for finding food and water despite having no 'knowing' of the tribe's territory. He seemed to recover from common aches and pains quickly, and even un-boiled water didn't make him sick for long. The seasons had moved on, and the tribe was once again at the river camp.  
  
Last night, the Pale One had surprised Hebram and the rest of the village when he'd breathed life back into the body of a young boy who'd drowned in the river. Hebram and the Pale One had been stewing and filtering the plants they'd gathered when they heard shouting. Hebram and the Pale One hurried to meet the crowd coming in their direction.  
  
"Paleb fell into the river and got caught in one of the nets! He doesn't breathe!" Paleb's father shouted to Hebram.  
  
Paleb's father laid Paleb on the ground and gently stroked the hair from his son's pale face. Hebram knelt beside the boy and put a hand on the boy's chest. He closed his eyes and began the prayer to call upon Horus for help.  
  
Hebram felt a hand on his shoulder and opened his eyes. The Pale One moved to Paleb's other side and moved his hand under the boy's neck and tipped his head. He bent over and pinched Paleb's nose and put his mouth over Paleb's. He blew air into the boy and Hebram saw the boy's chest rise. He looked at the Pale One. His eyes were intent and focused, perhaps this was a memory.  
  
The Pale One repeated his actions several times before the boy gasped. The Pale One shifted the boy to his side and let the boy cough out the water he'd swallowed. The Pale One smiled at Paleb's father, "He'll be alright now."  
  
The Pale One stood and stepped aside as Paleb's father lifted his son, his profuse and repeated 'thank-you' left in his wake as he took his son home.  
  
Hebram studied the Pale One as the young man watched Paleb's father and the rest of the crowd wander off to return to what they'd been doing. "Who are you?"  
  
The Pale One looked uncomfortable and hurried back to Hebram's tent. "I don't know."  
  
Hebram followed the Pale One more slowly, thinking as he walked. The Pale One had breathed life back into the body of the dead boy. Hebram had only begun his prayers to Horus and the Pale One answered! Suddenly the similarities began to stand out in his mind; eyes that saw more than common, skin as pale as a funeral shroud, the features of a son of Horus! The Pale One also had a knowledge of the earth that went beyond anything Hebram had ever heard of, and the Pale One had recovered quickly from the weakened condition his body had been in when he'd come to them.  
  
Hebram had made up his mind by the time he reached his tent. There were two final tests he could give the Pale One that would give him his answer!  
  
The Pale One was grinding plants in the pestle when Hebram walked in. Hebram sat on the stool facing the Pale One and said in the secret language of the Priests, "Isis hid her son Horus by the river to protect him from Seth's intentions."  
  
The Pale One looked up from grinding the plants. He replied in the same secret language. "She was looking for the body of Osiris."  
  
Hebram nodded, the Pale One knew the secret language. He picked up one of the knives he used to cut the plants into smaller pieces to make them easier to grind. Before the Pale One knew what he was doing, Hebram grabbed and sliced the Pale One's hand.  
  
The Pale One dropped the pestle and gasped in pain. He backed to the wall and looked at Hebram in fear. "Why?"  
  
Hebram had already noticed the blue sparks on the Pale One's hand. He put down the knife and picked up a cloth and bowl of water. He held the Pale One's eyes with his own and walked forward slowly. "It was a test. Look at your hand."  
  
The Pale One looked down and was confused. He looked closer at his hand, now healed. He cringed when Hebram took his hand and gently wiped it with a wetted cloth.  
  
"Healed. The blood of Horus flows in your body. You are Methos – the Lost One. For surely you have fallen from the heavens. You are welcome in my tent and our village - Methos."

the end


End file.
